


Slices Of Life

by angelikitten



Category: Final Fantasy XII
Genre: Gen, Transgender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-02
Updated: 2010-01-02
Packaged: 2017-10-05 16:01:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelikitten/pseuds/angelikitten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five small slices of Vaan's life pre-game.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Slices Of Life

"So just because people think you're a girl, it doesn't mean you are one?" Reks asks him, frowning with the effort of trying to understand.

"Yeah." he replies, then waits while Reks paces the room for a while. He's surprised that Reks hasn't shouted at him yet for breaking his new toy broadsword, but maybe he's still just shocked. Reks couldn't have expected him to admit this, after all.

He thinks about saying something to break the silence when, suddenly, Reks smiles. "Well, I guess I'll have to get used to having a little brother instead of a little sister."

 

Vaan is eight when they move to Rabanastre.

When his father tells him that they won't be going by airship, he almost cries. Crossing the desert by chocobo sounds dull beyond words. But when the chocobo starts running he closes his eyes, and for a moment it feels like he's flying.

Eventually they stop for lunch. His mother takes him to one side, scissors in hand.

"Stay still, this won't take long." she says, sitting him down on the warm sand.

They leave the ponytail of blonde hair where it falls, and Vaan smiles as he mounts his chocobo again.

 

In his first two years in Rabanastre, Vaan's father makes just enough gil to be able to afford to consult a mage about Vaan's problem.

"I can't do everything." he says, "But I can stop him from developing into a woman. Anything more is beyond both my power and your finances."

The mage names his price, which is higher than Vaan's parents can afford. But they agree, saying that they'll return when they can afford to pay him.

Three months later, they take him to see the mage again, gil in hand. Vaan can only pray that the spell works.

 

The plague takes his mother only nights after his father, and Penelo's family offer to take him in.

"You can't stay with them." Reks argues. "What will they do when they find out?"

Penelo overhears, and later tells Vaan that she'll help keep his secret. "That's what best friends do." she says, smiling and holding his hand.

The first night he stays with her family, he cries. After a few minutes, she crawls into his bed and holds him until the sun comes up.

When she loses her parents in the war a few years later, he returns the favour.

 

People always tease him about wanting to be a sky pirate.

Part of it's about the skyships, he can admit that. He also admits that it's partly about the adventure, the treasure, and the fame - and not necessarily in that order.

But mostly, it's about freedom - the freedom to be who he is, and not have to worry about people finding out. And hopefully making enough gil to fix his body, make it the way it should always have been.

"All good sky pirates have to start somewhere." he tells himself, as he skewers yet another sewer rat.


End file.
